Ali Abdaal
March 10, 2023
7 Daily Habits That Save 3+ Hours Per Day
Productivity7 Habits that Save Me 3+ Hours a Day
TL;DR
Seven evidence-based daily habits—capturing tasks, identifying daily priorities, time-blocking your calendar, the five-minute rule, managing phone distractions, using a physical alarm clock, and limiting TV to social occasions—can collectively save over three hours every day.
Key Takeaways
- 1Capture thoughts immediately using a centralized system (app or pen and paper) to free up mental energy and reduce decision fatigue
- 2Identify your single most important task each morning as a 'daily adventure' to maintain focus and inject enjoyment into work
- 3Color-code and time-block your calendar to eliminate unintentional gaps filled with mindless scrolling and unplanned activities
- 4Use the five-minute rule to overcome procrastination and utilize small time pockets for meaningful progress on projects
- 5Implement phone focus modes, keep devices face-down, and use friction apps like One Sec to reclaim attention from notifications
- 6Replace bedside phone charging with a physical alarm clock to avoid pre-sleep scrolling that can waste 30 minutes to several hours
- 7Restrict TV viewing to social occasions with friends rather than solo consumption, freeing substantial evening hours for intentional activities
Notable Quotes
“time is really our most valuable non-renewable resource we can always make more money but we can never make more time”
“the single biggest productivity hack of all time is finding a way to enjoy what you're doing and finding a way to generate energy from that thing that you're doing”
“five minutes is way better than nothing”
“when I was on my deathbed I probably wouldn't regret not having watched more TV”
Chapters
1. Habit 7: The Capture Habit (10 minutes saved)
Use a centralized system—app, pen and paper, or notes—to immediately offload thoughts and tasks so your brain isn't holding them. Inspired by David Allen's Getting Things Done, this reduces distraction and mental clutter.
2. Habit 6: Daily Adventure (15 minutes saved)
Ask yourself each morning what today's adventure is—your most important task. Frame it as an adventure rather than a chore to inject energy and enjoyment, making the work feel less like obligation.
3. Habit 5: Rainbow Calendar (15 minutes saved)
Time-block every hour of your day with color-coded activities. Eliminate gaps in your calendar that lead to unintentional social media scrolling by always having a planned, intentional activity.
4. Habit 4: Five-Minute Rule (20 minutes saved)
Overcome procrastination by committing to just five minutes of a task; momentum builds from there. Use five-minute blocks between other activities to make progress on multiple projects throughout the day.
5. Habit 3: Focus Phone (30+ minutes saved)
Use focus modes tied to your calendar, keep your phone face-down, and install friction apps like One Sec to pause before opening social media. These strategies reduce unintentional phone use and notification hijacking.
6. Habit 2: Physical Alarm Clock (30–60+ minutes saved)
Replace your bedside phone as an alarm clock with a physical one to avoid pre-sleep and post-wake scrolling. This single change can prevent 30 minutes to hours of lost time before falling asleep.
7. Habit 1: TV Only with Friends (60+ minutes saved)
Eliminate solo TV viewing and watch only when it's a social experience with others. Redirect the 1–4 hours most people spend daily on TV toward more fulfilling and intentional activities.
Key People & Entities
- David Allen
- Author of Getting Things Done, a foundational productivity book that inspired the capture habit technique
- Huel
- Meal replacement nutrition company sponsoring the video; offers protein-rich, affordable meal options
Glossary
- Capture Habit
- A productivity strategy from David Allen's Getting Things Done where you immediately offload thoughts and tasks to an external system to reduce mental load
- Daily Highlight
- A practice from the book Make Time where you identify the single most important task for the day to prioritize and focus your efforts
- Time-Blocking
- Scheduling specific blocks of time on your calendar for different activities to eliminate gaps and prevent unintentional behavior
- Focus Mode
- A phone feature that restricts notifications to only essential contacts or apps during designated time periods
- One Sec
- A mobile app that adds friction to social media usage by requiring you to take a breath and confirm your intention before opening apps like Instagram or TikTok